This invention relates to a traction control apparatus for reducing an engine output transmitted to drive road wheels in response to a slippage produced on the vehicle drive wheels during deceleration.
For example, Japanese Patent Kokai No. 1-14712 discloses a vehicle traction control apparatus which responds to a slippage produced during vehicle deceleration by terminating the delivery of fuel to some engine cylinders so as to reduce the engine output. If the amount of fuel to the other engine cylinders is increased to provide efficient cooling of the engine during the traction control, unburnt fuel will be discharged from the other engine cylinders into the engine exhaust system and mixed therein with the fresh air discharged from the some engine cylinders. The mixture is burnt to overheat the engine exhaust system and degrade the catalytic converter provided in the engine exhaust system. The conventional traction control apparatus avoids this problem by inhibiting any increase in the amount of fuel to the other engine cylinder during traction control. Without effective engine cooling, however, the engine will overheat during long continuous traction control.